Kafir-corn header.



Patented Mar.l2, I901. R. B. FRANKLIN.

KAFIR BORN HEADER.

(Application filed June 27, 1900.) (N0 Model.) 3 Sheets-6M I.

Patented Mar. l2, IQOI.

R. B. FRANKLIN.

KAFIR CORN HEADER.

(Application filed June 27, 1900.)

3 Sheets-Shem 2.

(No Model.)

[ ml 3 E Q 3 T 1.; Q0 xv \Q X 0 afi l M n. 5i m ,N! g I \B m MTQTQQ No.669,688. 'Patented Mar. I2, I90l.

I R. B. FRANKLIN.

KAFIR CORN HEADER.

(Application filed June 27, 1900.)

3 Shuts-Sheet 3.

-(No Model.)

rm s "dams Pzrsns 0a.. PHmauyHo WASHINGTON. o. c.

REUEL B. FRANKLIN, OF FORT MADISON, IOWA.

KAFlR-CORN HEADER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,688, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed June 27,1900. Serial No. 21,707. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, REUEL B. FRANKLIN, a

citizen t the United States, residing at Fort a machine to be used forcutting off and gathering the heads of Kafir corn; and it consists incertain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, andoperation of the various parts thereof, as will be hereinafter morefully set forth and specifically claimed.

One object of this invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive,andeffective machine for cutting off, collecting, and transporting theheads of Kafir corn or similar growths in such a manner that the stalks,with the fodder thereon, may be left standing in order that the lattermay be gathered at a later time.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the machine that itmay be tilted so as to accommodate stalks of different heights that isto say, that the cutter-bar may be tilted to the proper position to cutthe stalks just below the heads whatever may be the height of thestalks.

Other objects and advantages will be disclosed in the subjoinedstatement.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionpertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it,referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view inside elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof; and Fig. 3is a vertical transverse sectional view, taken on .line 3 3 of Fig. 2,looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar letters refer to like parts throughout the different views ofthe drawings.

A and A represent the collecting boxes or receptacles for the headsafter they have been severed from the stalks. These receptacles arepreferably rectangular in shape, as

shown, and have their upper ends open and their lower portions providedwith inclined floors Ct to cause the heads to slide outwardly therefromwhen the doors a, which are hinged to the upper portion of saidreceptacles, are

opened, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Each of theboxes is provided on its lower portion, about the middle of the sidethereof, with a socket a to receive a bolt a located on the outside ofeach of the doors and which bolts and sockets are employed to fasten thedoors in their closed positions. Secured to the upper end of each of thebolts 61. is a wire or cord 0., which has at its upper end a handpiece cmovably secured to the upper portion of the boxes and employed fordisengaging the bolts from their respective sockets. The boxes orreceptacles A and A are pivotally mounted on shafts B, on which are thetractionwheels B, which revolve in suitable depressions or wheel-boxesa, formed in the lower part of the collectingreceptacles. Thesereceptacles are held a slight distance apart in order to stride the rowof corn by means of a frame 0, composed of uprights c, which supportsthe gathering and cutting mechanism. Extending from the inner surface ofthe upper portion of one of the boxes to the like portion and surface ofthe other box is an arched roof or covering A on which the heads of cornwill fall after being out from the stalk and from which they will passinto the boxes. Secured horizontally to each side ofthe frame O is across-piece c, on the front and rear end of which is journaled asprocket-wheel c and c ,respectively,around which pass sprocket-chainsC, each of which is provided with fingers c to engage the heads of thecorn and to force the stalks backwardly over the cutter-bar. Verticallyjournaled on each side of the frame 0 are shafts D and D, which areprovided on their lower ends with beveled gears d, which mesh withsimilar gears 61 on the auxiliary shafts B which are journaled on thefront portion of each of the collecting-receptacles. Mount-ed on theupper end of each of the shafts D and D is a sprocketwheel 0 whichengages and drives the chains O,ca rrying the fingers. On each of theshafts B is a sprocket-wheel d and on each of the shafts B is asprocket-Wheel 01 over which and the sprocket wheels (1 passsprocketchains 01, used for driving the gathering and cutting mechanism.On one of the shafts B is mounted an eccentric E, to which is securedthe lower end of a rod E, the other end of which is pivotally secured toone arm of a bell-crank lever F, which is fulcrumed on a suitablesupport G, secured to the frame 0 and usually at the rear thereof. Tothe other arm of the bell-crank lever B ispivoted at one of its ends abar 9, the other end of which is pivotallysecu red to the cutter-bar H,which is horizontally and transversely supported at the rear of theframe 0 by means of crosspieces 6, secured tosaid frame.

The cutter-bar may be of the ordinary or any preferred construction.Journaled on the rear ends of the pieces 0 is a rock-shaft I, the endsof which are bent downwardly and have pivotally secured thereto rods orbars L, the other ends of which are similarly secured to the poles ortongues M, which are pivotally secured at their rear ends to the boxes Aand A and may have at their front ends suitable means (not shown) forconnecting them to horses which draw the machine. Fulcrumed atits lowerend to one of the collecting boxes or receptacles is a lever N, which ispivotally connected, by means of a link 'n, to one end of 'therock-shaft. The rear portion of the boxes or collectingreceptacles isprovided with a support 0 for the seat P,'on which the driver may sit.

From the foregoing and by reference to the drawings it will be seen andreadily understood that the machine is so mounted on the shafts B thatthe Weight of the driver will about counterbalance the weight of thecollecting and cutting mechanism. By driving the horses, which may behitched to the front ends of the boxes or collecting-receptacles bymeans of singletrees R or otherwise, so that the machine will stride thestalks or corn to be operated on it is evident that the heads thereofwill be drawn together and backwardly over the cutter-bar, when the samewill be cut off thereby, after which they will fall on the roof or coverA and from there into the boxes, from which they may be emptied when theend of the row' is reached by raising the doors a at the outside of theboxes. By pressing the lever N forwardly the machine will be tilted sothat the cutter-bar and fingers 0 will reach just below the heads of thetaller stalks, when by retracting the lever the machine may be raised soas to cut the heads of the lower stalks.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of two collectingreceptacles pivotally mounted ontraction-wheels, with a piece inclined toward each of the receptaclesand uniting their upper inner portions, a gathering mechanism and acutterbar mounted above the front portion of the said receptacles,suitable gearing and connections between the shafts of the said wheelsand the gathering mechanism and cutterbar, whereby the same are operatedby the revolution of the traction-wheels, substantially as described.

2. The combination of two collecting-receptacles pivotally mounted apartfrom each other on traction-wheels,with a piece inclined toward each ofthe receptacles and uniting their upper inner portions, a cutter-barhorizontally located above the front portion of said receptacles,suitable gearing and connections uniting the cutter-bar and the shaftsof the traction-wheels, substantially as described.

3. The combination of two collecting-receptacles pivotally mounted apartfrom each other on traction-wheels, with a piece inclined toward each ofthe receptacles and uniting their upper inner portions, a cutterbarhorizontally located above the front portion of said receptacles,suitable gearing and connections uniting the cutter-bar and the shaftsof the traction-wheels, a lever ful crumed on one of said receptaclesand connection between said lever and the poles of the machine fortilting the same, substantially as described.

i. The combination of two collecting-receptacles mounted apart from eachother ontraction wheels, with a piece inclined toward each of thereceptacles and uniting their inner upper portions, a series ofsprocket-wheels journaled above the front portion of said receptacles ateach inner side thereof, a sprocketchain carrying a number of fingersand engaging each of the series of sprocket-wheels, and means to drivethe said chains by the r0- tation of the traction-wheels, substantiallyas described.

5. The combination of two collecting-receptacles mounted apart from eachother on traction-wheels,with a piece inclined toward each of thereceptacles and uniting their inner portions, a series ofsprocket-wheels journaled above the front portion of said receptacles ateach inner side thereof, a sprocket-chain carrying a number of fingersand engaging each of the series of sprocket-wheels, means to drive thesaid chains by the rotation of the traction -wheels, and a leverfulcrumed on one of the receptacles and connections uniting said leverand the poles of the machine for tilting the same, substantially asdescribed.

REUEL B. FRANKLIN.

